Safety apparatus for boats



April 1, '1930. F. A. SI EVERLING SAFETY APPARATUS FOR BOATS 4 Filed April 30, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

#54 ATTORNEY SAFETY APPARATUS FOR BOATS Filed April 50, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u 59 5 "all i j IACVENTOR.

v ama, 07mg 11% M g I ITTORNEY April 1, 1930. F. A. SIEVERLING SAFETY APPARATUS FQR BOATS- Filed April 30, 1928 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Z2 3 1,, ATTORNEY r.

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 U ITE TATES PA ENT orFicE rnnn A. srnvnnmne, or GREAT BEND, KANSAS SAFETY ArrAnA'rns ronnoa'rs Application. flled April 30,

will" enable the'occupants of a sunken boat to easily escape therefrom, or permit divers to enter the boat, without cutting through the 15 hull and without liability offlooding the boat." W 1 The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings, which 2 illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention: 1 a 1 Fig. 1 is a reduced inside elevation looking at the front'of the safety compartment, the innerdoor being shown open and the outer door closed,a portion of-the hull being shown. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the inner door being closed. Fig. 3 is an elevation looking-at the outer side of the hull, portions being broken away, 30 and the outer door being shown closed.

' Fig. 4 is an enlarged'vertical sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. a

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 55 of Fig. 3. i v

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on the of the'l'ine 7- 7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of a crank that may be used to operate the pump;

' Similar reference characters 1 designate similar parts in the different views. 1 designates a portion of the side wall of the hull of a. boat, which may be a submarine, or other vessel having airtight compartments.

In "the hull 1 plane is provided a compartment,

the outer wall 2 of which is the side wall of thehull. "The floorof the compartment may be a deck '3. '4 designates thefront wall of 1928. Serial No. 274,067.

the compartment, 5 the side Walls thereof, and 6 the top of the compartment.

The outer wall 2 may be inwardly depressed, as shown, and is provided, spaced from the top 6,.with a doorway 7 adapted to be closed by a door 8, which is hinged to the outer side of the wall 2 so as to swing out wardly to open, and whichwhen closed bears against a'resilient gasket 9 on the outside of the wall 2 and extending around'the edges of the door way 7 The door 8'is mounted on hinges 10, which may be usual spring hinges which tend to normally close the door.

In order that the door 8 may be closed from the interior of the hull, and at the exterior of the compartment, in case the springs '10 do, not close the door, and in case the door should not be closed by anyone passing outwardly through the doorway 7', the door 8 has attached to it pivotally one end'of a rod 11 the other end of which pivotally engages a block 12 fastened on a rod 13, which'has one end slidably mounted in a horizontal tube 14 fastened to the wall 2. The rod 13 extends mounted in the front wall 4:. The other end of the rod 13 is pivoted to a-lever '16,"the lower end of-which is pivotedto mounted on the wall4.

By oscillating the lever 16, any one outside the compartment may swing the door 8 open or closed, if the outer pressure of the water against the door does not prevent its opening movement. The front wall 4 is providedwith a doorway 18, spaced, preferably, from the floor 3,

a bracket 17 and which is adapted to be closed by a door 19, which ishinged to the inner side of the wall 4 by hinges 20, which may be spring V hinges tending to normally close this door. The door 19'is adapted to bear against a gasket 21 of a resilient nature fastened to the wall 4 around the doorway 18, as shown.

For tightly holding the doors 8..and 19 against the gaskets 9 and 21, there is provided a rock shaft 22, which extends through the wall 2 and through the wa1l 4, and has mounted on its outer end an arm-23, which is adaptedto travel over and bear against a ing position, the other arm will be released.

In order that any one at the outer side of the compartment and inside the boat may swing the rock shaft 22, the latter has mounted-on it, outside the compartment in front of the wall 4, an arm 27.

In thecompartment on the wall 2 is a pressure gage28 by which the pressure in the I compartment maybe ascertained. A pressure gage 29 is mounted in the door 19, and arranged to communicate with the interior of the compartment, and having its dial at the outer side of the door 19, so that those in the boat, outside the compartment may ascertain the pressure in the compartment.

An electric lamp 30 may be mounted in the top 6 of the compartment, Fig 4, so as to illuminate the interior thereof.

To let water into the compartment, to equalize the internal with the external-pressureoutside the hull, so that the door 8 may be opened, there is provided in the wall 2 a sea cook 31, which is preferably, but not neces sarily self closing. The cock has in the compartment an operating lever 32 for opening the cock, and which may be used to close the cock in case it sticks or is not self closing.

To this lever is attached a rod 33 which extends through the wall 4- and has outside the compartment a handhold 34 by which the sea cock can be closed, in case it does not close automatically, and incase that the person passing out the compartment through the doorway? fails to close the-cock. The cook 31 has at the outside of the wall 2an operating member 35 by which a diver can open the sea cock from the outer side of the hull.

For pumping the water from the compartment, a pipe 36 extends through the top 6 to near the floor 3, and connects with a pump 37 on the top 6 and having a rotary shaft, which is also an armature shaft 38 of an electric motor 39, also on the top 6.

Connected to the pump 37 is a conductor pipe 40 which extends through the hull 1 and includes an outwardly opening check valve 41. Two switches are respectively located within and outside the compartment, and are arranged in circuit with the motor so that the latter can be operated by the closing of either switch. The inside switch has a lever 42 arranged to strike a contact 43 on the inside of one side wall 5. The other switch has a lever 42 adapted to strike a contact 43' on the outer side of the wall 4.

An occupant, who may havea life preserver and an oxygen helmet, enters the comtical position.

partment through the doorway 18, then closes the door 19, and opens the sea cook 31, and keeps it open until the inflow stops, at which time the internal pressure will equal that outside the hull. By swinging the arm 25 so as to release the arm 23, the door 8 may be opened to permit him to pass through the doorway 7. h j

The occupant of the compartment after he enters the compartment will have swung the arm 25 from the upright position shown in Fig. 4 to the horizontal position against the wedge 26, thus holding the door 19 tightly closed and at the same time swinging the arm 23 off from the wedge 24 on the door 8. The occupant will then pass out of the doorway 7 and will ascend through the water to the surface thereof. After leaving the compartment, however, he will see thatfthe door '8 is closed, and willswing the arm 23 again into engagement with the wedge 24. Also just before leaving, he will swing the switch lever 42 into engagement with the contact 43, thus closing the {circuit and cans ing the motor 39 to run and operate the pump, 37. If he should fail, however to lock the door 8 by swinging the arm 23 ontothe wedge 24, or fails to swing the switch lever into the closed position, closing the door may be done .by those outside the compartment and inside the boat, by properly swinging the lever '16.

The arm 23 may be swung to engage the wedge 24 by swinging the arm 27 to'the ver- The inside pressurewill hold the door 19 closed until the water in the compartment is pumped below the door. last occupant of the compartment did not close the switch lever 42 to start the pump, the other occupants of the boat can close the circuit through the motor by another switch, not shown, or in case that theelectric circuit is not operative, the pump shaft 38 may be turned to actuate the pump by a socket wrench 44, Fig. 8, which may; be applied to the squared end 45 of the shaft,Fig.' 1. 7

When the pump has operated to lowerjthe water below the bottom of the doorway, 18, another or more occupants of the-boat may enter the compartment, and after closing the door 19, and swinging the arm 25 over the wedge 26, may operate the sea cock lever 32 to let water into thecompartment.

The water in the compartment, must be, of course, lowered therein until the pressure in the compartment is sufficiently low as to enable the door 19 to be opened. This may be determined by trial, and the gages 28 and 29'are' not essential, and both may be dispensed with, if desired. When the sea cook 31 is opened, the water will continue to flow into the compartment until the pressure therein equals that outside the boat, at which time the inflow will automatically cease, and the occupant may open th-edoor 8. Inlike manner, when the, pump has operated to If the withdraw suflicient water from the compartment, that the pressure therein is but little more or equals the pressure in the boat out-' side the compartment, the door 19 may be opened.

When water ceases to enter the compartment through the sea cock, the occupants thereof will open the door 8 and pass out after having closed the switch 42 and made certain that the sea cock is closed. If in their haste, they should fail to close the switchand the sea cock failed to close, the occupants in the boat but outside the compartment can effect these functions, fromthe exterior of the compartment, as has been de scribed.

In case a diver desires access to the interior of the boat, he will swing the arm 23 to release the door 8, which, however, will still be held closed by external pressure. The rock shaft 22 will swing the arm 25 to engage the wedge 26 so as to hold the door 19 tightly closed. He will then open the sea cock 81 by means of the external operating member 35, and hold the cock open until the water ceases to pass into the compartment, at which time he can open the door 8 and enter the compartment. He will then see that the door 8 is closed, and close the switch 42,

thus operating the pump until the lowered pressure in the compartment permits the door 19 to be opened.

He can then pass further into the boat through the doorway 18.

Thus with the use of my invention, passage into or through the side wall of the hull of a boat may be had without having to cut a hole in the hull, and Without liability of flooding the boat, thus permitting the occupants of a sunken boat to escape therefrom.

In cases other than with submarines, the boat will be provided with a water tight compartment outside of and with which the safety compartment, heretofore described, communicates.

In case of sinking of the boat, the occupants thereof may be assembled in this outside compartment, which in the drawings is the room in which the compartment described is located, and may thus be enabled to pass out of the boat through the doorways I 7 and 18.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as many modificatlons,

1 within the scope of the appended claims, may

wall and one of the inner walls of the compartment being provided respectively with doorways, two doors respectively closing said doorways, said compartment being air tight when both doors are closed, means operable from inside and outside the hull and from in said compartment for admitting water into said compartment,and means having'starting and stopping means operable from in said compartment for pumping water from said compartment. 1 1

2. In a safety apparatus for boats, a boat hull having a compartment, the outer wall of which is one side of the hull, said outer wall and one of the inner walls of the compartment having two doorways respectively, two doors respectively closing said doorways, said compartment being air tight when said doors are both closed, means having starting and stopping means operable from in said compartment for pumping water from said compartment, and means releasable from outside the hull and from inside said-compartment and from within said hull and exterior of said compartment for holding said outer door closed. 3. In a safety apparatus for boats, a boat hull'having a compartment, the outer wall of which is the wall of the hull, said compartment having two doorways respectively communicating with the exterior and the interior of the hull, two doors respectively" closing said doorways, the compartment being air tight when both doors are closed,means operable from within and from without the hull for admitting water from the exterior of the hull into said compartment, means having starting and stopping means operable from within the said compartment for pumping water from said compartment, and means releasable from outside the hull and'from inside said compartment and from within the hull and exterior of said compartment for holding said outer door closed.

4;. In a safety apparatusfor boats, a boat hull having-a compartment, the outer wall of which is thewall of the hull, said compartment having two doorways respectively communicating with the exterior and the interior of the hull, two doors respectively closing said doorways,-the compartment being airtight when both of said doors are closed, a sea cock communicating with said compartment, means having starting and stopping,

means operable from in said compartment for pumping water from said compartment, and means releasable from within and from with out said compartment and from outside said hull for holding either door closed when the other door is released.

5. In a safety apparatus for boats, a boat hullhaving a compartment, the outer wall of which is the wall of the hull, said compartment having two doorways respectively communicating with the exterior and interior of the hull, two doors respectively closing said doorways, the compartment being airtight when both of said doors are closed, means for admitting water into said compartment,

means for pumping water from said compartment, and a rock shaft extending through said hull and said compartment having means for-holding said doors closed arranged to hold either door closed when the other is released,

and having means in the hull exterior of said compartment for being operated to release or hold either door.

6. In a'safety device for boats, a boat hull 7 having a compartment provided with two doorways respectively communicating with v the exterior and with the interior of the hull, twodoors respectively closing said doorways, and a rock shaft extending through said compartment from the exterior of the hull to the interior of the hull at the outside of said compartment, said rock shaft having two parallel operating arms in said hull at the inner Y and outer sides respectively of said compartment, one of said arms beingadapted to engage and hold the inner door closed, said rock shaft having outside the hull a third arm disposed at right angles to the other two by which the rock shaft may be swung to move said two arms to the door holding position, said third arm being adapted to engage and hold the outer door closed when the rock shaft is turned to a position in which the inner door will be released from the arm which engages it.

7. Ina safety device for boats, a boat hull having acompartment, a sea cock in the wall of said hull for connecting the interior of the compartment with the exterior of the hull, and disposed below the sea level for admiting water into said compartment, and having opening and closing means operable from the exterior of the hull and provided with opening and closing means within said compartment including an operating lever, and an operating longitudinally slidable rod pivoted to said lever and extending outside said compart-ment into the interior of said hull, whereby saidsea cock can be opened and closed from the exterior of the hull, from the interior' of said hull outside said compartment, or from the interior of said compartment.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

. FRED A. SIEVERLING. 

